Fine
by Grasspaw
Summary: "I don't want you to, either. But I hoped that, considering I asked you to... It's not what I want, but I'm willing. I can't risk having my bending taken." Korra asks the rest of Team Avatar for a special favor while hiding out underground with Gommu, something that doesn't exactly comfort them about the upcoming fight.


**So I was re-reading Mockingjay this morning and found the bit where Gale and Katniss are talking before going to the Capitol (or, technically they're in the Capitol, but you know what I mean), and I was thinking about how at the beginning of the series Mako and Korra reminded me of Katniss and Gale (not anymore, but they did at first), which prompted this. I own nothing.**

Their table was quiet after Gommu left to go see to some new arrivals. Korra seemed preoccupied, pushing around the chunks of food in her bowl of what Bolin called "street gruel". Mako was eating methodically, exchanging occasional glares with Asami, who, if now scowling at him, scowled at the table; she had given up on eating several minutes before. Bolin, who would usually see the silence as an oppurtunity to speak nonstop, now seemed to find it just too awkward to say anything, throwing them all anxious looks in between bites and absently petting Pabu, who had crawled into his lap after finishing Asami's bowl.

Korra was the first to speak. "You guys?" she asked, looking up at them and frowning, her face uncharacteristically somber.

"Yeah?" Bolin said, sounding relieved that someone else had spoken first. Mako and Asami looked at her silently. "What's up?"

Korra set her spoon down. "What do you think will happen if I lose my bending?"

"You won't," Mako said, so forcefully that Korra jumped and Asami gave him a dirty look. "It's never going to happen, so don't even think about it." Korra shook her head.

"I'm the Avatar. I have to think about it."

"So what if you lose your bending?" Bolin said with an attempt at humor. "There's loads of other people that have already. You guys can form a support group!"

No one laughed, but Korra did smile wearily at him.

"It's not necesarrily _my_bending I'm worried about."

"Your kids?" Asami said, raising her eyebrows. "Tarrlok already proved that people who lost their bending can have bending children. But it's not that important, really, is it? There's nothing wrong with being a nonbender." Her words had an edge to them that Korra ignored, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"No, I mean... will the Avatar cycle be broken?" The other three teenagers' mouth formed perfect _o_'s.

"You mean," Bolin said hesitantly, "you think that if you lose your bending, then the next Avatar will never be reborn?"

Korra shrugged. "It could happen. I'm a unique case; Aang said this had never happened before, and he seemed really worried." She hesitated, tapping her finger against the table in an irregular pattern. "But... there is a way to make sure the Avatar is reborn."

Mako and Bolin shared a glance. Asami looked confused, Mako nervous, and Bolin relieved.

"Well, great!" the earthbender said. "Let's just do that then." Korra almost laughed.

"No, Bolin."

"Why not?" he asked, frowning and cocking his head to the side.

"Because I'm talking about me dying."

"NO!" Mako practically shouted, so loud that those at their table winced and people at several other tables turned to look at them in alarm.

"Mako, keep your voice down!" Korra hissed. "I'm not saying I have to die right away. But... and you guys know I wouldn't ask this of you unless it was really necesarry..." She took a deep breath and looked each of them in the eye before speaking slowly. "If worse comes to worst, and Amon's got me... I want you to kill me."

"Korra," Bolin said weakly. "We can't..." She shook her head.

"You have to. Please. The world needs an Avatar, and if I can't do it, then you guys have to make sure the next one will be reborn. And that might not happen if I lose my bending." She took a deep breath. "Believe me, I don't want it anymore than you guys do. But you might have to. For the greater good."

"And what do you think it would do to us," Mako said in a low voice, "to have to kill you 'for the greater good'?"

Korra looked at him, her eyes wide with something like fear. "I don't want you to, either. But I hoped that, considering I asked you to... It's not what I want, but I'm willing. I can't risk having my bending taken."

Mako closed his eyes. Bolin was staring at her with an expression akin to horror, and Asami seemed unable to close her mouth, still seeming shocked.

"Please," Korra whispered, and Mako stared at her for several seconds.

"Fine," he said bitterly. "But I expect you to return the favor."

Korra hesitated for a split second. "Fine."


End file.
